Search results

AS a preliminary to the detail description of the Harrier V/S.T.O.L. Operational Trainer — designated Harrier T. Mk. 2 — it is worth recalling that Hawker Siddeley first made proposals for a dual version of the P.1127 as early as September 1960 (Fig. 1). However, due to the relatively small number of early P.1127 and Kestrel aircraft, efforts to introduce a trainer proved abortive until the Harrier G.R. Mk. 1 production order materialised, following the batch of six Harrier development single seatcr aircraft. A feasibility study for a V/S.T.O.L. Dual Version Harrier was submitted to MinTech in September 1965. This was followed up by a project study in April 1967, which culminated in firm orders for two development two‐seater aircraft, to be followed by a batch of production aircraft.

Despite 80 years of military aircraft development producing remarkable differences between early cockpits and those of today, the function of the cockpit has yet to change. Before discussing reasons for expanding the function of future cockpits it is only prudent to assure ourselves that today’s cockpits are as good as they should be. Considers the following questions: how should we assess (let alone measure) the overall quality of a cockpit? Within a total budget how much money should we spend improving the cockpit as opposed to other parts of the same aircraft?

The purpose of this paper is to draw a metaphorical parallel between a pilot in the cockpit of the latest, ultra‐modern US fighter F22 and that of a chief executive officer (CEO) managing his corporation in responding to global competitive challenges.

This paper is inspired by the embedded, “system of systems (SoS) thinking” in the text of the very ancient Chinese Art of War by Sun Tzu. The approach here is to illustrate how such a 2,500‐year‐old thinking may be applied through the emerging discipline of SoS. For designing a CEO‐responsive, informative system, the innovations in designing the cockpit for a pilot in the latest US fighter jet, F22, is utilized.

Today's corporate world management has, in the past, drawn heavily from the military (for example, operations research). Whilst there is a vast difference between the pilot's cockpit in an F22 and the lap‐top of the CEO, the need for deadly accurate, often reflexive decisions is the same. It is becoming a fact of business life that speed of deadly accurate responses is necessary to ensure the survival of corporations, especially for firms operating in rapidly changing technologies, or top executives who have to cope effectively with informatively intensive yet fast changing environments, such as in the financial markets.

This paper illustrates how it is still possible for managers to draw inspirations in designing corporate systems through examples taken from the military. Sun Tzu drew inspirations on organizing for flexibility by observing and thus grasping the essential nature of water. Similarly, it may be useful to draw parallels in innovative design of an F22 pilot's cockpit for the CEO or managers having to make fast yet deadly responses.

Real flight is cognitively demanding; accordingly, both indicators and display panel layout should be user-friendly to improve pilot-aircraft interaction. Poor pilot-interface interactions in aircrafts could result in accidents. Although a general reason of accidents is improper displays, relatively few studies were conducted on interfaces. This study aims to present an optimization model to create intuitively integrated user-friendly cockpit interfaces.

Subjectivity within most usability evaluation techniques could bring about interface design problems. A priori information about indicator’s possible locations may be available or unavailable. Thus different analytical approaches must be applied for modifications and new interface designs. Relative layout design (RLD) model was developed and used in new interface designs to optimize locations of indicators. This model was based on layout optimization and constructed in accordance with design requirements, ergonomic considerations with the pilot preferences. RLD model optimizes interface design by deploying indicators to the best locations to improve usability of display panel, pilot-aircraft interaction and flight safety.

Optimum interfaces for two problem instances were gathered by RLD model in 15.77 CPU(s) with 10 indicators and 542.51 CPU(s) with 19 indicators. A comparison between relative and existing cockpit interfaces reveals that locations of six navigation and four mechanical system indicators are different. The differences may stem from pilots’ preferences and relativity constraints. Both interfaces are more similar for the central part of the display panel. The objective function value of relative interface design (Opt: 527938) is far better than existing interface (737100). The RLD model improved usability of existing interface (28.61 per cent considering decrease in the objective function values from 737100 to 527938.

Future cockpit and new helicopter interface designs may involve RLD model as an alternative interface design tool. Furthermore, other layout optimization problems, e.g. circuit boards, microchips and engines, etc. could be handled in a more realistic manner by RLD model.

Originality and impact of this study related to development and employment of a new optimization model (RLD) on cockpit interface design for the first time. Engineering requirements, human factors, ergonomics and pilots’ preferences are simultaneously considered in the RLD model. The subjectivity within usability evaluation techniques could be diminished in this way. The contributions of RLD model to classical facility layout models are relativity constraints with the physical constrictions and ergonomic objective function weights. Novelty of this paper is the development and employment of a new optimization model (RLD) to locate indicators.

An adaptable, integrated full glass cockpit and flight management system has been developed and is in production for application in multiple Sikorsky rotorcraft. The entire system was conceived, designed, tested and delivered in an unusually short time period. A systematic process was used to define the avionics system attributes, major capabilities, and cost targets up‐front and track them during the development program. First flight was achieved 12 months after contract start, and production deliveries commenced 5 months after first flight. The integrated glass cockpit has accumulated more than 9,000 flight hours in customer operations to date. This flexible system architecture allowed the team of Sikorsky and Rockwell Collins to reuse several blocks of existing military and civil application software, and to interface the various Avionics subsystems using industry standards. This proved to be a critical factor in allowing us to meet the compressed design and development schedule.

Despite air travel having become a widely used means of transportation, the technological sophistication and human skill required for flying an aircraft remains a source of fascination and admiration. Aviation has been coined an ultra-safe system, coping with the duality of safety and efficiency by emphasizing expertise and learning, but also standardization and automation. Highly selected and continuously trained pilots have to work with increasingly complex and autonomous technology, which creates tensions between routinization and responsible action. Research on leadership and coordination in aircrews is reviewed in light of these tensions, pointing to the benefits of a functional approach to leadership which promotes optimal use of all resources in the team toward adaptive coordination. Furthermore, the leadership requirements arising from the fact that aircrews are ad hoc teams, usually only formed for a few flights, are discussed in terms of fast team-building coupled with the reliance on shared knowledge stemming from high levels of standardization. Due to the complex demands for leadership in aircrews, special training programs were developed early on, which have become a standard that many other high-risk industries are still striving for. The generalizability and need for further development of concepts embedded in successfully leading aircrews is scrutinized, focusing especially on leadership in ad hoc teams, the interplay of standardization and leadership, and the balance between shared and formal leadership.

IN addition to complying with British Civil Airworthiness Requirements and the regulations of the Federal Aviation Agency, the opinions of many experienced airline pilots were sought during the early project stages of the Hawker Siddeley 748 cockpit development. The recommendations of the British Airline Pilots' Association were also incorporated.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight state-of-the-art digital human modeling applications in aviation and aerospace industry, generate research interest and promote application of digital human modeling technology among audience of diverse background including researchers, students, trainees, etc. in academia and industry; designers; engineers; and ergonomists associated with aviation and aerospace sectors.

Comprehensive literature search was performed and, subsequently, all publications identified were studied thoroughly at least by abstracts. Available information has been segregated under different headings and depicted systematically for easy understanding by readers.

Virtual human modeling technology has been used in assessing reach and accessibility in aircraft cockpits, creating accurate posture libraries, performing vision analysis for pilots, determining design modifications to accommodate female users, predicting probable pilot behavior in proposed cockpit design, simulating air flow and heat transfer in fighter plane’s cockpit, assessing comfort of airplane passenger seats, maintenance studies, human spaceflight training, verifying component accessibility, investigating impact of space suit parts and harnesses, etc. Traditional approach for ergonomic investigations (involving costly physical mockups and trials with real humans) can be effectively replaced by evaluations facilitated by digital mockups and digital humans.

Being a review paper, the present manuscript is purely academic in nature.

The present paper represents critical review (with up to date references), leading to a comprehensive knowledge body about application of digital human modeling in aviation and aerospace industry. Avenues still to be explored have been identified and future research directions have been given aiming at aviation and aerospace completely human centric.

TWENTY‐ONE years devoted to the development of ejection seats, 24,000 seats built for more than forty nations and now one thousand lives saved—that is the proud record of the Martin‐Baker Aircraft Company. To coincide with these achievements, the following article describes the technical development of the range of seats—from the first swinging arm concept through the early manually‐operated seat to the rocket‐assisted completely automatic zero/zero ejection seats of today. From whatever standpoint Martin‐Baker's record is examined, the result is impressive. In terms of mechanical engineering, a series of ingenious features allied to robust design have resulted in ejection seats of unparalleled performance yet renowned for their simplicity and reliability. In terms of sales, this comparatively small firm has, in effect, conquered the world and won substantial export contracts—not least those for over 7,000 seats for the United States armed forces. In human terms, the company has won the grateful thanks of all those aircrew members—a long roll of highly‐skilled and dedicated young men whom some might call the cream of manhood—who but for Martin‐Baker ejection seats would have perished. Small wonder that the name Martin‐Baker has become synonymous with successful ejection.

The aim of this paper is to present the results preparation of a new glass cockpit for a general aviation category airplane with a TP100 turboprop 180 kW engine. All the works were carried out within the framework of the European programme: “Efficient Systems and Propulsion for Small Aircraft” – ESPOSA.

As a part of the ongoing work, the avionics equipment available on the market were thoroughly analysed. Optimization of choice was defined at the level of costs, ergonomics and development requirements of the engine manufacturer. The paper presents the issues of the realized project and discusses its specific characteristics, such as advantages and disadvantages in comparison to the conventional analogue cockpit and the possibility of adaptation for the plane.

New avionics, ground and in-flight tests were carried out. The data were collected, which, together with an ergonomics assessment done by the pilot and the observer, confirmed the previously established technical and operational objectives.

Most airplanes, when being modernized, encounter minor or major problems. A new approach to upgrading the avionics, involving the exchange of a piston engine with a turbine engine, which is supported by 3D software, has allowed a significant reduction of working time and costs.

The achieved results allow specifying a plan of changes, necessary to adapt the aircraft to a new avionic system. However, an important value is to show a new development direction of the turbine engine implementation in general aviation aircrafts.